Lake of Tears
by Random the Oracle
Summary: A cool Xanth fic, complete with high fantasy stuff, a complex plotline and developed characters. A war between two demon factions causes one of the most powerful talents in Xanth to surface and sparks an unlikely romance between demon and mortal.
1. And So It Begins

Lake of Tears  
Chapter 1  
  
NOTE: this chapter begins with just a few no-introduction snippets to bring in all of the characters. This will all come together eventually. Trust me.  
  
He leaned back from his picture, satisfied. It showed a mountaintop, with him on top. The sun was yellow, shining out from behind him, his arms raised in a V, hailing the sun and the sky. The dead bodies lay before him in pools of blood. Jeremy grinned, a facial expression that rarely passed across his face these days. His parents didn't care. His friends wouldn't have cared, if he had any. His tormentors certainly didn't care. He had hit bottom; he had nowhere to go but up. At this moment, he crowned himself king of his own world. King Jeremy. He liked the sound of it. He grinned again.  
  
"his talent is not forthcoming" reported Oxford.  
  
"So what's new", thought Jeremy. Far as he was concerned, he had no talent. So what? He didn't have anything else. His parents seemed equally uninterested. Oxford was a Centaur. He did all the things centaurs did; which is to say, he ran a school in the North Village, where Jeremy lived. Oxford had made a pet project of Jeremy. He wanted to find his talent. Oxford displayed an unhealthy interest in magic talents (unhealthy for a Centaur), and so was intrigued by Jeremy's apparent lack of one. Jeremy rather resented being treated as a test subject, but he was numb to it by now. His parents left to whatever they did that kept them so busy, while Oxford got out more divination and magicsniffing equipment.  
  
"I have not found him yet". The demon Daxlove stared intently at the ground under the terrible gaze of demon Professor Grossclout.  
  
"what!?" he barked, nostrils literally flaring.  
  
"I have not found him.", replied Daxlove, possibly with a little more bravery.  
  
"well then", began Grossclout, with ferocity so great it bordered on mirth, "FIND HIM!!!!". The last part literally blasted Daxlove in several directions, well out of that region of Hell. Daxlove wasted no time in phasing out to Xanth proper to continue her search, very much cowed (an unusual state for her).  
  
The demon lord Furor stood in front of his throne, rather than sitting, barking out orders to the masses. Ember watched him with admiration. Spark nudged him, grinning. Ember shook himself and got back to work laying down steel bricks. Spark and Ember were demons. They could, of course, manifest a fortress, but it would disappear if they stopped concentrating, so they had to do it the mortal way. Spark transformed into an Ogre to make the job of lifting easier. Spark followed suit, and they proceeded to see who could produce the foulest stench to amuse themselves while working. 


	2. The Power is Unleashed

Lake Of Tears  
Chapter 2  
  
Jeremy trudged through the mud to the schoolhouse. It had been raining. Jeremy enjoyed this kind of weather; it let him savor his perpetual misery. Well, enjoyed was a rather strong word. He didn't like it. Hate is a small word with a bitter and painful meaning. Like his life. Hate was one of Jeremy's favorite words. Jeremy arrived at the schoolhouse, ready for another day of suffering.  
  
The tyrant stood by the door where he always was, waiting for Jeremy. His name was Josh, and his talent was getting away with things. His two minions (yes, minions; he controlled them through intimidation and suggestion) stood beside him. Their names were Tim and Lewis, and they looked as though they would prefer being anywhere but here. Josh grabbed him by the hair as he always did, and demanded "the goods" from Jeremy. When Jeremy failed to produce anything, Josh thrust him back and instructed his two minions to grab Jeremy. Tim, a rodentlike midteen, shot him a sympathetic glance as he subjected the slightly younger Jeremy to a headlock. Josh strode up, all testosterone, and proceeded to beat the living hell out of Jeremy. He brutally punched him and kicked him, drawing blood and causing pain to flare through Jeremy's body. Because of the boy's Talent, Oxford was oblivious to the brutality going on just outside his door. As Josh continued to beat upon Jeremy, he could feel his anger rising within him. It seethed through his blood and filled his head, but, while it usually stopped there, today king Jeremy had had enough. The anger literally exploded out of him, engulfing Josh and his minions in white fire. For some reason, this came as no surprise to Jeremy. The fire continued to rage around him, and he felt it tearing him apart from within, an unstoppable force working to destroy him. He did not hear the hoofbeats of a panicked Centaur, nor the screams for mercy of three agonized teenagers. King Jeremy the wicked had his bittersweet revenge.  
  
Daxlove let the odd crystal device hang loosely around her neck. The device Grossclout claimed would find the bright one. It suddenly stood erect and spun toward the southeast, glowing purple. Daxlove had never seen it do this before. She turned into wind and shot off in that direction.  
  
Daxlove hovered above the North Village, witnessing a horrific fight scene. Well, not too horrific, by demon standards. It really got interesting when the victim suddenly exploded, surrounding himself with an inferno of white fire. This must be the prophesized Bright One. Daxlove saw that the Bright One was in danger, but knew she could not get close to him without risking herself. He was falling apart. Without her intervention, he would surely die right here and now. She swooped down, turning into a cage to hold the power together and prevent the further dispersion of the energy that was the boy's life-essence. The instant it touched her, she felt the energy attack the magical stuff she was made of, assaulting the very fiber of her being. She changed shape as her current one dissipated, only to be attacked again. She changed at a frantic pace, into anything she could think of, in a desperate effort to save the Bright One without compromising her own immortal life.  
  
Gray Murphy was passing through the North Village, on his way to the Gourd for not particularly pressing matters concerning the Night Stallion. After some time, he noticed (if noticed were the proper phrase) a great inferno of magical nature and a demon wrapped around it, flickering from one shape to another, almost definitely in distress. Without questioning the appropriate course of action, he loosed his nullification magic, letting it flow around the demon to neutralize the inferno. He felt heavy resistance, and since the inferno was subsiding, decided to relent. At the center was a boy whose body was still infused with white light, and to the side was a female demon he did not recognize, pale and gasping with exhaustion. 


	3. The Forces are Set in Motion

Lake Of Tears  
Chapter 3  
  
A/N: I know it's short. I just need to establish that that something is happening with our friends Spark and Ember. Expect these two plotlines to be intersecting shortly ^^.  
  
The Furor looked to the sky, every fiber of his body tensed. He sniffed the air. Turning to Spark and Ember, he barked, "You two!". Ember snapped to attention, while Spark calmly turned towards the Furor and gave a friendly salute. "I sense a turn in the tide. My instinct tells me we must act now or risk losing this war. Ember! Unless I know nothing of Grossclout, this will be Daxlove's doing. Find her! Bring Spark. He has a good head on his  
shoulders". Spark smiled at Grossclout.  
  
"Sir!" barked Ember.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for, you two? Go!"  
  
The two phased out. 


	4. Consequences

Lake Of Tears  
Chapter 4  
  
A/N: sorry it was so angsty the last time around! I don't plan on in any way making that a trend. Maybe this chapter will have a lighter tone ^^.  
  
Gray was the first to react. "what the hell is going on here?" he asked, in the ever-lovable style of mundanes. Jeremy lay on the ground. Daxlove was drifting slowly in the air. Oxford and gray were standing on opposite sides of Jeremy, Oxford looking a little more confused than Gray.  
  
"well", began Daxlove, "the bright one..."  
  
"Jeremy". Jeremy cut in.  
  
"Jeremy", Daxlove continued,  
  
"wait". Jeremy cut in again. "Bright... Wha?" now Daxlove was the only one not confused.  
  
"just tell me what happened, demoness", interrupted Gray.  
  
"the Bright One, er... Jeremy", began Daxlove, "he... it's rather hard to explain".  
  
"I have time", Gray lied.  
  
"er... well then", said Daxlove, not eager to annoy one of the only mortals who could harm a demon. "see, we..."  
  
"who's we?", interrupted Gray.  
  
"well, that is to say, professor Grossclout and his demon faction, we have been searching for the Bright One for some time now, for what I cannot say. The Bright One, I mean Jeremy, is prophesized as the one will deliver us from the jaws of disaster. Having realized that there is, indeed, impending disaster, of which the nature is confidential, I have come searching for the Bright... Jeremy". It was unlike a demon to keep secrets. Must be important. "...so you can see we need his help", concluded Daxlove.  
  
"But what about the light stuff?", demanded Gray.  
  
"To be honest, I don't know", answered Daxlove honestly.  
  
"I think we may know this boy's Talent", remarked Oxford. "if I could possibly study the boy for a..."  
  
"No", interrupted Daxlove. "this is my boy". Daxlove had a point.  
  
"No need to interfere in the affairs of demons, is suppose", sighed Gray. And so began what would be one of the greatest legends in all Xanth. 


	5. Questions and Promises

Lake Of Tears  
Chapter 5  
  
A/N: For those of you who are saying, "arrgh, when do we get to the action?!", it's almost here! After this chapter, the real adventure begins.  
  
Daxlove carried away the body of Jeremy in to the forest. She was looking  
for a Healing Spring to revive him. She looked down at the boy she was carrying. So this was the Chosen One, the one who would save them all from destruction. She found it hard to believe. He wore drab earth tones, his hair was blonde and came down to his shoulders. His open, staring eyes were blue beacons of light. He seemed rather underfed and pale. Having arrived at the healing spring, she bent down and immersed him in it. The water lit up around him. Minutes passed. He gradually became more corporeal as his  
life force returned. He was alive. Jeremy opened his eyes and looked  
around. The first thing he saw was Daxlove leaning over him. "Who are  
you?", he demanded.  
  
"The person who just saved your life".  
  
"Oh", he responded, but what he was thinking was, "Who said I wanted  
saving".  
  
"I am Demoness Daxlove. Where were you a few minutes ago?"  
  
"Oh yeah", exclaimed Jeremy.  
  
"Well, thanks for saving me and all, but I'd like some answers. I didn't  
ask to be whisked off to demon land or wherever you're taking me, you  
know". Daxlove had no answer to this.  
  
"But do you want to", asked Daxlove pointedly. Jeremy thought,  
  
"She has a point". Out loud he said, "I still want some answers. What  
happened back there, why do I feel so strange, and why do you care".  
  
"I don't know what happened back there, you feel strange because you have one of the most powerful Talents in Xanth residing in your body, and I care  
because my master wants you for it".  
  
"it's obvious something very big is going down and that I just walked into a lot of power. I'm still curious. If I can find out what's happening and possibly how to harness this power, I will be glad to accompany you", he said diplomatically. And, to himself, "And I get to spend more time with  
this demoness". 


End file.
